I was on my way to the shelter to pick up my next foster dog, Caspian, when I received a text message. “Hi Nicole! I wanted to see if you had any interest in fostering a sweet senior named Blue. He’s 12 years old and on the euthanasia list for today”.
That’s right, in just a few hours Blue was scheduled to die.
It’s the heartbreaking reality of life in the shelter. Too many dogs, not enough space. So those who are old and in need of medical care or suffering from kennel stress get placed on THE E-LIST. Their only hope? A foster or animal rescue to show up in time. Show up before they are walked down that long hall, never to return.
After adopting out my 2 previous foster dogs, I was going to be taking in my third. I chose Caspian because his shelter notes indicated that he was suffering from severe kennel stress. I knew what that meant – it was only a matter of days before he would be E-listed. But on my drive over I received that text.
Who Do I Save, Blue or Caspian?
Blue was 12 years old. He had lived a long life. He was e-listed for medical reasons – very underweight, had severe dental disease and multiple skin masses. Blue could end up being a “fospice” (a blend of the words “foster” and “hospice”). It refers to a specialized type of animal fostering where a person provides a loving, comfortable home and palliative care to a senior or terminally ill pet, during their final days, weeks, or months. It basically means Blue may not have a lot of time left.
Caspian on the other hand was only 3 years old and seemingly very healthy. So now I had to choose. Who do I save? Do I save Blue, who already got the chance to live a long life and might cross the rainbow bridge on his own in short time, or do I save Caspian, who hasn’t lived much of his life at all and should have 10 good years ahead of him.
I was on my way to the East shelter, for Caspian. Blue was at the West shelter. I pulled over on the side of the road, called my husband and told him the story. “Who do I choose?”, I said. His response in a nutshell, “Blue IS going to die today. Caspian is not. Choose Blue.” So, I changed course and headed to the West shelter for Blue.
I brought Blue home and got him all settled in. A warm bath, some fresh homemade yummy dog food and a big comfy dog bed (actually 4 comfy dog beds to be exact).
What Happened To Caspian
Three days after bringing Blue home, Caspian was E-listed. I was in a panic. I contacted anyone and everyone I could think of, asking if they could foster Caspian. No takers. I was heartbroken. With hours left I texted a previous potential adopter. They had been interested in adopting my second foster, Pepper. After deciding not to adopt, they had asked me how to get involved in fostering. I never knew if anything came of it so I decided to text them, “Can you foster Caspian, he’s been e-listed but from his shelter notes, he sounds like a great boy”. An agonizing hour went by, then I received a text back, “we contacted the shelter and they told us a foster just picked him up”. He was saved. I could breathe again.
Back to Blue
Blue had some medical issues but luckily, Desert Dog Project stepped in and sponsored his medical care costs. He had 2 bad teeth extracted, his teeth cleaned and multiple masses removed. He ended up being adopted by a wonderful couple who told me they “just wanted to give Blue a good life for whatever time he had left”. Blue was adopted on March 18, 2025. As of March 10, 2026 he is still living an active, joyful life! Fostering saved his life.
Fostering Doesn’t Only Save Lives…
It Helps Them Get Adopted SO Much Faster
Pepper spent 279 days in the shelter — nearly 9 months — with not a single application. Only 14 days after she came home with me she was adopted by her forever family. I never realized how much impact fostering a dog has on their chance of being adopted until I started fostering myself. Dogs can sit in a shelter for 75, 100, even 200+ days, but once in a foster home, they’re often adopted within 1–3 weeks. The change is that dramatic. Here are my foster dogs stats:
Pepper
279 days in Shelter
14 days in Foster & Adopted
Wrigley
114 days in Shelter
16 days in Foster & Adopted
Chance
93 days in Shelter
22 days in Foster & Adopted
Apollo
86 days in Shelter
9 days in Foster & Adopted
Dakota
147 days in Shelter
8 days in Foster & Adopted
Why Fostering Helps a Dog Get Adopted
It comes down to one thing: Life in the shelter vs. Life in a home.
Remove Shelter Stress & You Have a Different Dog
Shelter dogs often suffer from kennel stress. Locked up with limited human contact, many jump on the walls, lunge towards the kennel door, bark nonstop, or growl. To a potential adopter, that can look like an unmanageable dog. They think “that dog is crazy, I don’t want that in my home” — and they move onto the next dog.
But once a dog leaves the shelter, that behavior often disappears. The “wild” dog in the kennel becomes calm, loving, and well-mannered at home.
Every one of my five fosters above showed signs of kennel stress at the shelter, yet none jumped, barked, or acted out once home. They were all wonderful dogs — they just needed to get out.
Fosters Can Share What the Shelter Can’t: Personality & Habits
Adopters want to know if a dog is housebroken, destructive, noisy, good with kids or other animals, how they walk on a leash, ride in the car, or whether they’re high-energy or mellow. When a dog sits in a shelter, there is no way to know that information.
When you foster, you learn all about the dog. You can write a bio for your dog and answer all those questions — and that’s powerful. A clear picture of a dog’s true personality can turn “I’m not sure” into “Yes, let’s meet them.”
A Good Photo has a Huge Impact
Most adopters start their search online, and the shelter intake photo often isn’t flattering. Dogs might be dirty, matted, scared, or poorly lit.
When you foster, you can take a clean, happy photo in a home setting. This makes adopters envision that dog in their home. Subconsciously, people associate seeing a dog in the shelter as a bad dog. But when they see one in a home they think of it as being a good dog.
Blue looked older and withdrawn in his shelter photo. I bathed him, took a bright photo in my bedroom, and 14 days later he was adopted!
Help Them Recover and Get Healthy – Foster a Dog
Some dogs arrive at the shelter malnourished or sick. Blue and Aurora, two of my fosters, were both underweight and had kennel cough when I brought them home. You can read about Aurora’s amazing journey in a separate post.
Aurora had kennel cough. A dog coughing in their kennel makes adopters turn away.
In the shelter, a sick or thin dog is often passed over. But get them into a foster home with food, care, and a stress-free environment and they will bounce back quickly — looking healthier and more adoptable in no time.
There are lots of good dogs at the shelter being passed by.
All of the dogs I have fostered have been good, well-behaved dogs:
- All were housebroken
- None of them barked
- None of them were destructive
- All were good when left alone in the house
- All of them knew how to sit, some also knew shake and lay down
- Most walked well on a leash, some did need some training to not pull
- Some never tried to get on the furniture, some did, but it was easy to train them not to
- Some loved to play catch, others just wanted a stuffed toy
- All of them loved me and wanted to be loved in return
Pepper was in the shelter for 279 days and she was the most perfectly well-behaved dog I had ever had!
Why are So Many Good Dogs Sitting in the Shelter, Unnoticed?
Looking at my fosters’ stats — months in the shelter, days in foster — I kept asking: Why?
The answer: kennel behavior. Stressed dogs act out in their kennels, and adopters pass them by. But that isn’t who they really are.
Most had a family once, someone they loved and who loved them. Now they’re alone in a scary place, surrounded by noise and strangers. Their behavior reflects stress, not personality.
Once out, they don’t lunge, bark, or climb walls. They love, play, and relax.
4 Simple Steps to a Quick Adoption
- Get them out of the shelter and into your home.
- Let their true personality shine without the stress.
- Take a great photo as soon as possible and submit it to the shelter to replace their intake photo.
- Write a bio that highlights their good traits — even better if it’s from their point of view.
How to Become a Foster
Personally, I foster through Maricopa County Animal Care & Control. They provide a collar, leash, toy, and food for each dog. Many shelters and rescues will provide supplies, and some even cover veterinary care. All you have to do is fill out an application to start fostering.
Check with your local shelter or rescue — nearly all have a constant need for fosters.
Foster a Dog and Save a Life
Right now, there’s a good dog sitting in a kennel — stressed, lonely, and waiting for someone to notice them. You could be that person.
Fostering doesn’t just help a dog feel safe and loved. It can literally be the reason they get adopted instead of being passed over — or worse.
Even a few days in a home can turn things around. Give them that chance — get them a new photo, learn their personality, write their bio. You’ll be amazed at how quickly they find their forever family.
Author: Nicole Bolin